NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Nearly 100 residents at a Washington Heights nursing home are believed to have died from the coronavirus, NY1 reported on Thursday.
Forty-six residents of Isabella Geriatric Center have died from coronavirus related-illnesses, with another 52 others dying from suspected cases of the virus.
"It's absolutely horrifying," Mayor Bill de Blasio said. "It's inestimable loss, and it's just impossible to imagine so many people lost in one place."
It is hard to say whether the spate of deaths at the Isabella Geriatric Center, in Manhattan, is the worst nursing home outbreak yet in the U.S., because even within the city facilities have chosen to report fatalities in different ways. An official state tally of nursing home deaths listed only 13 at the home as of Friday.
But officials at the 705-bed center confirmed that through Wednesday 46 residents who tested positive for COVID-19 had died as well as an additional 52 people "suspected" to have the virus. Some died at the nursing home and some died after being treated at hospitals.
The number of bodies became so overwhelming the home ordered a refrigerator truck to store them because funeral homes have been taking days to pick up the deceased.
"Isabella, like all other nursing homes in New York City, initially had limited access to widespread and consistent in-house testing to quickly diagnose our residents and staff," Audrey Waters, a spokeswoman for the nursing home, wrote in an email. "This hampered our ability to identify those who were infected and asymptomatic, despite our efforts to swiftly separate anyone who presented symptoms."
Isabella also encountered staffing shortages, prompting it to hire from outside agencies and early challenges securing personal protective equipment for employees. Waters said the home finally is "getting more access to testing" now.
Melody Jenkins, whose 68-year-old mother, Adrienne Blankett, died at the center on April 6, alleges that the facility "didn't even test" her mother.
Blankett's cause of death was determined to be COVID-19.
"The numbers that will be announced over the next few days about COVID-related deaths at Isabella will be disturbing," according to a message last updated Thursday on the nursing home's website.
"As you know, Isabella has been following state and federal guidelines for infection control, which so far have helped contain the virus," the message says. "Unfortunately, nursing homes in New York City have not been given access to widespread and consistent in-house testing to quickly diagnose our residents and staff. Sadly, this has hampered our ability to further limit loss of life by swiftly separating anyone with the virus."
A spokesperson for the home says coronavirus spread is now in decline there, according to NY1.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
